Unhelpful Help 2/3

[emerald_green37]

 

 

 

"Hey, look who's here." The rest of the team looked up at Gibbs' announcement to see McGee and Tiana come off the elevator. After hugging her Papa, Tia greeted everyone enthusiastically, pirouetting around to show off her outfit for Ziva.

 

"You look very pretty today, Tiana. Do you and your daddy have special plans?"

 

"Actually her plans are with me." Ducky's arrival from the back elevator took everyone's attention away from the front elevator, allowing Jarvis to arrive unnoticed for the moment.

 

Tia squealed and ran to her adoptive grandfather. "Grandpa Ducky, Grandpa Ducky, are we really going to a tea house?"

 

"We most certainly are, my dear." Ducky smiled as he took the keys Tim handed him. "Thank you, Timothy, I will take good care of both of them."

 

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" Jarvis ignored the adults in the group and bent down to smile at Tia before turning to McGee. "So, this is the little girl I've been hearing about?"

 

Tim made the introductions but didn't encourage any informality. "Mr. Secretary, this is my daughter, Tiana Caitlin McGee. Tia, this is our boss, Mr. Jarvis."

 

She frowned at what her father had just said, stumbling over the big word. "But I thought his name was Mr. Sec-a-tary?

 

A flurry of smiles were covered up at Tim stammered out an answer. "Sweetheart, Mr. Jarvis is the Secretary of the Navy. He's in charge of the entire Navy and all of the Marine Corps, so Mr. Secretary is his official title."

 

"Oh, okay." And just like she'd been taught, Tia stepped forward and held out her hand. "Hello."

 

Jarvis bent down and formally shook her hand. "Hello, Miss Tiana. That is a very pretty name for a very pretty little girl. So you're off to high tea with Grandpa Ducky?"

 

Today's single poof bounced as she nodded. "We're going to have tea and lumpets."

 

"Lumpets?" They all watched as Jarvis struggled to contain his smile, a rare human moment for him. "That sounds delicious. I have a grandson about your age. Sometimes I take him to the ball park for hotdogs and popcorn."

 

As Jarvis straightened up, Ducky edged in to take Tiana's hand. "Well, we must be off, don't want to be late and miss our reservation."

 

As the group made their way upstairs, Jarvis worked his way over to walk next to McGee. Gibbs saw what he was doing and stayed close, but silent, letting Jarvis make the first move.

 

"Becoming a grandfather brought me closer to my son. Something you might want to keep in mind when you consider your own father, Agent McGee."

 

Tim stopped at the head of the stairs, staring at the SecNav before shaking his head. "He hated Grace, Sir, hated everything about Tiana's mother."

 

Jarvis wasn't expecting that, he'd assumed the Admiral had never the met woman. "I wasn't aware they had any dealings. Was it because she was black? If one of my advisers is a racist, Agent McGee, I have a right to know."

 

"No." Tim had a faraway look on his face as he shook his head. "As far as my father is concerned, Grace committed one unforgivable sin and it happened years before Tiana was in the picture. Grace taught me to stand up to him and to follow my own dreams, even if they weren't his."

 

"Let me guess, he wanted you to follow in his footsteps, join the Navy."

 

"Had my whole life planned out for me, right down to my future classes at Annapolis. When I was still in my teens, Grace taught me to stand up for myself and he never forgave her for that."

 

"Time can change a man, McGee."

 

"True, but we just buried Grace and my priority has to be our little girl, not my father's possible middle age crisis." His line in the sand firmly drawn, McGee stepped into the conference room, ending the conversation, not noticing the proud look on Gibbs' face.

 

 

---NCIS---

 

 

Ducky had been thrilled when Tim called, asking him to spend a few hours with Tiana. He agreed completely with the younger man's concern that it was too early for Tia to return to child care. He'd also heard from Gibbs about the SecNav's earlier interest in the child. Ducky didn't understand Tim's concerns regarding his biological family, but he trusted that Tim was making the decision for all the right reasons.

 

All of his mother's friends had passed on before her, but he was still close to many of their families and Juliette Scarborough had been happy to put together a quick, child friendly meal at her tea house.

 

"Hello, Donald." Julie took his hands and kissed him on the cheek.

 

Ducky smiled and returned the kiss. "Juliette, my dear, it has been far too long. Let me introduce my granddaughter, Tiana."

 

Tiana had been staring in awe at the perfectly decorated Victorian tea house. It reminded her of the fairy tales she loved and just like the princesses in the stories, she curtsied when the introductions were made, much to the older woman's delight.

 

Smiling, Juliette returned the curtsy. "Oh, aren't you adorable." She looked back over at her old friend. "Victoria would have spoiled her rotten, so we'll just have to do it for her."

 

 

---NCIS---

 

 

Listening to the information his teammates had put together on the raids so far gave Tim several ideas which were incorporated into the possible plans of attack he and Johnson laid out for the SecNav. The guys from Cybercrimes had done a great deal of work, but it became quite evident what different approaches there were between the strictly desk bound geeks and when that knowledge was combined with ten years of field experience.

 

"Thank you, Agent McGee. I appreciate you canceling your leave."

 

Tim held his ground. "Actually, I haven't canceled it, Mr. Secretary, but I have worked out a light schedule with Director Vance where I will mostly overseeing the computer operations from home."

 

"Your daughter seems to be coping well."

 

"For the most part, she is. She is also always with adults she considers family, but only for a few hours at a time. The rest of the time she's with me, at home. I will help the investigation all I can, Mr. Secretary, but I won't sacrifice my daughter for it."

 

"And that is perfectly acceptable." Vance stepped in, giving his official approval to the plan. "We won't ask for any more than that."

 

"Of course." No one could tell if Jarvis was happy or not, but at least he appeared to accept the restrictions.

 

 

---NCIS---

 

 

Juliette Scarborough loved every part of her business, but her absolute favorite thing was providing a first tea when one of her long time customers brought in their child or grandchild for a first visit. Since Donald Mallard was one of her nearest and dearest friends, it was a double pleasure.

 

In deference to Tiana's young age, her tea cup was filled with warm, sweetened milk flavored with just a splash of tea as plates of treats were set on the table. Scottish style fruit crumpets, as requested by Donald, were surrounded by tiny sandwiches of chicken salad, scones with Devonshire cream and lemon curd, miniature sweet potato biscuits filled with ham and strawberry preserves, fresh fruit slices and a platter of assorted cookies.

 

Ducky expected Tia to only be interested in the sweets, but he placed one of each item on her small plate. Much to his surprise, she went straight for the biscuit with the ham and with two bites it was gone. "Did you like that?"

 

"Mmm, good. Ham's one of my favorites. Daddy put one in the crack pot today."

 

"Really?" Ducky had to think for a moment. "A crock pot?"

 

Tia's head bounced as she smiled. "Yep." She carefully lifted her cup, awkwardly pointing her little finger as she tried to imitate the adults in the room.

 

Ducky reached over and helped her adjust her grip before she took a sip of her 'tea'. "I didn't know that your daddy cooked at all."

 

"Daddy's a good cooker, better than Mommy." Her chin wobbled a bit, then she smiled. "Used to make Mommy mad sometimes."

 

"Remembering funny stories is a wonderful way to remember the people that are no longer with is. Why, I remember the time my mother..."